The present invention pertains to compressor assemblies, and particularly to discharge muffler arrangements therefor.
Prior art hermetic compressor assemblies have, in some instances, comprised a discharge muffler disposed within its housing. In some cases, a plurality of such internal discharge mufflers have been in fluid communication with each other, either in series or in parallel. Further, in some embodiments of prior compressor assemblies, these discharge mufflers include chambers at least partially hemispherical in shape.
In certain embodiments of prior hermetic compressor assemblies, discharge gas compressed in the compression mechanism thereof, which may be of a reciprocating piston type, is exhausted through a conduit from the cylinder head to a first hemispherical chamber, and from that first hemispherical muffler chamber via a second conduit to a second, nearly identical hemispherical muffler chamber, and from the second muffler chamber via a third conduit which extends through the compressor housing to a refrigeration or air conditioning system comprising a condenser, and evaporator, and an expansion device in fluid communication with the compressor.
Such prior art discharge muffler arrangements, however, are not configured for optimally muffling pumping noise associated with the discharge fluid which flows therethrough. The discharge fluid flow exhausted from the compression mechanism contains pressure pulses associated with the cyclic compression of the fluid therein. These pressure pulses are conveyed with the fluid through the first conduit to the first muffler chamber, wherein the magnitude of the pulses are only somewhat attenuated before the discharge fluid flow exits the first muffler chamber and continues through the second conduit to the second muffler chamber. Similarly, the pressure pulses contained in the fluid flow exiting the first discharge muffler chamber and entering the second discharge muffler chamber, are somewhat further reduced in magnitude within the second chamber. The discharge fluid flow then exits the second discharge muffler chamber, conveyed via the third conduit through the compressor assembly housing wall to the remainder of the refrigerant system.
While somewhat effective at attenuating the pressure pulses carried by the discharge fluid flow, and thereby providing some muffling of the noise associated with compressor operation, the positioning of the inlet and outlet of both discharge muffler chambers in previous such discharge muffler arrangements has been primarily for convenience of construction, packaging and adaptation to the size of the compressor, rather than for obtaining maximum attenuation of pressure pulses and radiated sound. Consequently, prior compressor discharge muffler arrangements are not optimized and thus their performance leaves something to be desired. An improved compressor discharge muffler arrangement which provides quieter compressor and refrigerating system operation without appreciably compromising performance or increasing costs is desirable.